From the Editor: In the July, 1996,
issue of the Braille Monitor we published the following article by Bruce Gardner.
In addition to being a very effective state president, Bruce is also now a member
of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Here is the
article, beginning with the editor's headnote:

From the Editor: Bruce Gardner was elected last
September as President of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona. He
is Senior Attorney with the Arizona Public Service Company. Bruce and his wife
have six children, and he is very active in his church. In short, Bruce Gardner
is a busy man. During the weeks preceding his first affiliate Board of Directors
meeting as President, Bruce did a good bit of thinking about and planning for
the organization under his administration. The following article is a distillation
of his thinking and the discussion that took place at the October, 1995, board
meeting. It should be helpful to the members of every other Federation chapter
and state affiliate. Here it is:

Dr. Kenneth Jernigan began his 1976
National Convention banquet address entitled, "Blindness--of Visions and
Vultures," with the following story:

"Behold a king took forth his
three sons to judge their fitness to govern the kingdom, and they stopped by a field,
where a vulture sat in the branches of a dead tree. And the king said to the oldest son,
'Shoot--but first tell me what you see.'

"And the son replied: 'I see
the earth and the grass and the sky...'

"And the king said, 'Stop!
Enough!' And he said to the next son, 'Shoot--but first tell me what you see.'

"And the son replied, 'I see
the ground and a dead tree with a vulture sitting in the branches...'

"And the king said, 'Stop!
Enough!' And he said to the youngest son, 'Shoot--but first tell me what you see.'

"And the young man replied, his
gaze never wavering, 'I see the place where the wings join the body.' And the shaft went
straight--and the vulture fell."

Dr. Jernigan, referring to the
National Federation of the Blind throughout his banquet address, said, "A vulture
sits in the branches of a dead tree, and we see the place where the wings join the
body." His message was clear: as members of the NFB we must keep sight of our vision
of the future and not become distracted from our true purpose.

With this in mind, as the newly
elected President of the NFB of Arizona, I decided that, in order to capitalize on the
strength of past leadership in the state and help our affiliate reach new heights, it was
important that we be united in our understanding of the purpose of the NFB and of basic
leadership principles. Additionally it is important that we set goals and organize
ourselves to reach those goals. Therefore our first Board meeting following our state
convention was dedicated entirely to these topics. All members of the affiliate were
encouraged to attend.

I have now been asked to share my
notes of that meeting with other Federationists. With the addition of some further
thoughts, here is what we discussed: (1) What Is the NFB and What Is Its Purpose? (2)
Leadership in the NFB; (3) Goals and Objectives; and (4) Specific Committee Assignments.

What Is the NFB and What Is Its
Purpose?

What is the National Federation of
the Blind? In order to understand the NFB properly, we must recognize that it consists of
two parts: an organization and a philosophy.

The organization is made up of blind
people working with and for blind people. That is significant. However, without the
philosophy the organization would not be much different from the ACB or, for that matter,
the Lions Club or dozens of other organizations. Without the philosophy it would simply be
another group of volunteers who have come together for the common purpose of doing good.
Fortunately, the NFB is not just another blind organization--it has a philosophy.

What is the philosophy?

* That blind people are normal
people--simply a cross section of society--who just happen to be blind.

* Given real opportunity and
effective training, the average blind person can do the average job in the average place
of business as well as his sighted neighbor and can participate fully in the affairs of
family, community, and nation.

* The real problem of blindness is
not the lack of eyesight (because there are alternative ways to do what you would have
done with eyesight if you had it), but the public's (and often the blind person's)
attitude about blindness.

* With real opportunity and
effective training, blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance.

In other words, NFB philosophy is
nothing more or less than the truth about blindness. It is not speculation, wishful
thinking, or fantasy. Tens of thousands of NFB members over the last fifty-nine years have
proven the truth of this philosophy. Unfortunately, the truth is not widely known, and
misconceptions about blindness abound. However, the truth is no less true for its relative
obscurity, but rather more valuable.

What is the purpose of the NFB? The
overall purpose of the NFB is to help blind people to be successful and to enable them to
live and manage their lives normally, independently, and freely. According to Dr.
Jernigan, a blind person needs three specific things in order to be truly independent,
self-sufficient, and successful:

* He must know the truth about
blindness--that is, he must come emotionally as well as intellectually to believe that he
can be truly independent and live a productive, normal life. It is much easier to learn
the truth intellectually than it is emotionally, but the emotional belief is key.

* He must acquire competence in the
alternative skills which enable a blind individual to be truly independent. These are
skills such as Braille, independent travel, and personal management.

* He must develop a complete
understanding of public attitudes about blindness and why those negative attitudes are
what they are. And he must get to the point where society's attitudes (and the things
which will happen because of those negative attitudes) do not bother or upset him so that
emotions do not get in the way of success. You can't do what you need to do when you lose
your temper.

How can the NFB fulfill its purpose
of helping as many blind people as possible to become successful? Once we understand the
NFB's overall structure, philosophy, and purpose and once we understand the three
ingredients which it takes for a blind individual to be truly successful, we can more
easily envision how the NFB can fulfill its purpose. I believe it can do this by focusing
its efforts in the three areas that constitute our three-fold mission. They are sharing
our philosophy (the truth) about blindness, strengthening our members, and advocating for
the blind.

* Sharing the philosophy: Although
we of the NFB know the truth about blindness, we gain nothing by keeping it secret; it
must be shared. Our first responsibility is to share it with blind people who do not know
the truth about blindness or about the NFB. As we have already discussed, a critical need
of any blind person is to come to believe the truth emotionally. Since we know it, we have
a moral obligation to pass it on to others.

Second, we must share the truth with
the general public. We of the NFB are seeking the complete integration of the blind into
society, and in order for us to accomplish this objective, the general public must become
aware of the normality and capabilities of the blind so that they can accept blind people
and make a place for us once we have been trained and have emotionally accepted our own
blindness.

* Strengthening our members: The
members of the NFB are at different stages of development--society is continually eroding
our understanding of and commitment to the truth about blindness. Therefore it would be as
foolish to assume that a member of the NFB needs no additional philosophical help and
support as it would be for a good Christian to assume that, because he read the Bible
fifteen or twenty years ago, he does not need to read and study it any more. We should be
constantly working to develop a deeper intellectual and emotional understanding of the
truth about our blindness. Therefore we must constantly strengthen our own members.

* Advocating for the blind: Our
third broad mission is advocacy. We must advocate for the protection of civil rights, for
quality educational programs for our blind children, and for quality rehabilitation
services for blind adults. This involves state and national legislation, grievances,
hearings, and demonstrations.

Everything we do in the NFB should
fulfill one or more of these major objectives or be a supporting activity (such as fund
raising) which leads to successful implementation of these three major objectives.
Overemphasis on one of these objectives will result in insufficient emphasis on another.
The NFB strives for a balanced approach to fulfill its three-fold mission.

Leadership in the NFB

In the management of any business or
governmental or private organization there are four basic styles of leadership, which are
helpful to understand. First, there is the command style. In this the administrator makes
the decisions and tells others what will be done and who will do it. Second is the input
or counsel style. Here, after receiving input from others, the leader makes the decisions
and announces them to others. Third is the democratic style. Here, the leader allows a
majority vote to rule. And fourth is the consensus style. In this one the leader continues
the discussion until all agree upon a plan--possibly a plan which was no individual's
first or second choice, but something everyone can live with.

In an organization such as the NFB,
each of these four styles is appropriate at different times, depending upon the
circumstances and issues involved. It is generally understood that the consensus and
democratic styles are effective in building unity, team spirit, and membership support.
However, the more critical, far-reaching, or visionary the decision must be, the less
effective the consensus or even the democratic style is likely to be. The role of a true
leader is to have a vision of where the organization needs to go and the ability to employ
a combination of the various leadership styles to make the vision a reality.

Three old adages can be instructive
in illustrating the need for a mentoring approach to leadership in the NFB. (1) "A
lazy mother does everything for her children." (2) "If you give a man a fish,
you feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."
And (3) "He who can do the work of ten men is great. But he who can get ten men to
work is greater."

In the NFB leaders must be mentors.
We must be willing to set the example and say, "Come, follow me," but we must
also make sure that we strive to enrich and empower others to learn to do for themselves
and to do their share of the organizational work. It is inappropriate for the elected
leaders to think that it is their responsibility to do all of the work. Also it is
important for us to tap all of the resources which we have available in the organization,
and we must help all of our members develop their talents and potential (even when they
think they don't have any) by giving each of them the opportunity to serve in some
capacity in the organization. NFB leaders must delegate, spread the work, mentor, and
follow up because members need to experience and live the philosophy, not just hear it.

Goals and Objectives

When a chapter or state affiliate is
setting its goals and objectives for the coming year, conducting a brain-storming session
with members can be very helpful. It is important to keep in mind the mentoring approach
to leadership and the four leadership styles and to remember that our ultimate objective
is to assist blind people. We should also keep in mind the three-fold mission of the NFB
as we make our plans.

The major 1996 goals and objectives
for the NFB of Arizona are 1) establishing NEWSLINE(R); 2) getting a large Arizona
attendance at the 1996 National Convention in Anaheim; 3) putting on a major
fiftieth-anniversary state convention in September; and 4) strengthening our own members
and the NFB of Arizona so that we can help more blind people be successful and also have
more legislative clout.

Specific Committee Assignments

Once we understand the organization,
its philosophy, the three things which every blind person needs in order to be successful,
and the three-fold mission of the NFB, our work and the committees needed to do the work
can be clearly envisioned. Most of the committees fall directly under the three main
purposes, and several others support the basic mission.

(Note: It would not be wise or even
possible to have each committee reporting directly to the State President. Accordingly,
for efficiency of operation many of the following committees will report directly to other
Executive Officers.)

Committees Charged with Spreading
the Philosophy

Public Relations Committee: one
major effort must be to reach the public effectively through the media. This includes
airing radio and television spot announcements about the NFB, broadcasting our films on
television, and placing articles and stories about the Federation in the print media.

Public Speaking Committee: Members
of this committee give speeches at schools, civic organizations, employment or church
groups, and teachers' or parent groups. This committee should prepare white papers to help
rank-and-file members make effective presentations. The committee also conducts training
sessions in successful public speaking.

Dissemination of Publications
Committee: This committee sees that our literature--"Do You Know A Blind
Person?" "What Is the National Federation of the Blind," If Blindness
Comes, etc.--gets into the hands of the public. We can also create our own local and
state informational materials. All these materials should be placed in doctors' offices,
libraries, bank lobbies, utility-company mailings, etc.

Information and Referral Committee:
This committee will handle the NFB of Arizona's telephone message machines, return calls,
make appropriate referrals, and identify potential new members.

(Note: The major purpose of these
first four committees is to educate the public and to find blind people who need our help
or who wish to join with us in our work.)

New Member Mentoring Committee: Once
we have identified new blind people, we must have a way of retaining information about
them so that they do not inadvertently slip away, and we must have a mechanism to
communicate the truth about blindness to them. Whenever possible, the one-on-one approach
is best. Give them copies of banquet addresses. Talk about their experience with
blindness. Invite them to dinner. This committee should prepare new-member packets and
assign an experienced mentor to each new contact.

NEWSLINE(R) Committee: This
committee's task is to obtain the financial and public support necessary to make
NEWSLINE(R) a reality in Arizona. Although NEWSLINE(R) will greatly benefit our own
members, it is mentioned here under Spreading the Philosophy because establishing
NEWSLINE(R) will require extensive outreach into the community.

Committees Charged with
Strengthening Our Members

Philosophy Committee: This committee
has two primary functions. First, it will conduct a statewide philosophy seminar at least
once each year. Second, it will work steadily with local chapters to develop ways to get
members to read and study NFB literature--banquet speeches, Federation periodicals, Kernel
Books, Walking Alone and Marching Together, etc. One possible approach is to
establish a contest with points and prizes for those who read NFB literature. Each chapter
meeting should contain philosophical meat--substantive discussion about what distinguishes
us from other organizations.

Telephone Committee: The state
affiliate must help chapters and members stay well informed about NFB issues and develop a
strong network of close relationships. This committee must get the word out quickly. Each
chapter is encouraged to develop a similar plan so that information flows quickly and
accurately throughout the organization.

New-Chapter-Organizing Committee: As
we learn of new areas where organizing can be done or as existing chapters get so large
that they should be split up into smaller geographic areas, this committee will be
available to spearhead the work.

National Convention Arrangements
Committee: One of the most important things we can do to strengthen our members is to get
them to National Conventions. This committee has two main functions: to work out the
logistics of getting members to the National Convention and to work with the Philosophy
and other committees to help motivate and inspire members to want to go.

Convention-Planning Committee: This
committee has one function each year: responsibility for organizing the state
convention--finding the site; choosing the dates; and negotiating the rates for rooms,
meals, equipment, etc. During anniversary years the committee should also plan special
activities and programs.

Braille Literacy Training for Adults
Committee: This committee will participate in the Braille Literacy Training Project
established by our national organization. The project matches Braille-using mentors with
adults wishing to learn Braille and assists the mentors in their teaching.

Scholarship Committee: This
committee circulates state scholarship applications, reviews candidates, makes selections,
and arranges for the winners to attend and participate in the state convention.

(Note: A vital part of strengthening
our membership is to encourage each chapter to hold discussions of NFB philosophy at each
chapter meeting. Also each chapter should appoint a librarian to circulate NFB literature
like the Kernel Books among members so they will have constant access to good training
materials.)

Committees Charged with Advocating
for the Blind

National Legislation Committee: This
committee works with the National Office on needed action, contacts chapters or
individuals to notify them of needed action, and participates in the annual Washington
Seminar.

State Legislation Committee: This
committee works on all facets of state legislation and plans and coordinates annual
legislative events.

Grievance Advocate: The advocate
handles complaints, grievances, and hearings involving problems blind people are having
with either state or federal agency programs.

Governor's Council on Blindness: The
NFB of Arizona holds three positions on the Arizona Governor's Council on Blindness and
Visual Impairment. These three individuals represent the NFB of Arizona at Council
meetings, advocate for NFB of Arizona positions, and remain vigilant to make certain that
the Council does not take positions or actions harmful to the blind community.

Supporting Activities

Materials Inventory Coordinators:
Just as modern business practice requires just-in-time inventory, we need to have the
materials available from our National Office closer to home. Our state coordinators should
have commonly requested and needed items on hand so that local members and committees
don't have to keep their own stock pile of materials or contact Baltimore each time
something is needed. The coordinators might also keep a few canes, cane tips, and other
aids and appliances on hand.

Fund-Raising Committee: This
committee will deal with two broad areas--preparing grant applications and traditional
fund-raising projects such as walk-a-thons, yard sales, or other new projects through
which our own members can help to raise funds for the organization.

Newsletter: This committee is
responsible for writing and editing the state newsletter, gathering information from
chapters and divisions, and producing and distributing the final product.

Computer Committee: This committee
keeps track of membership and other computer lists, prepares mailing labels, and carries
out similar organizational duties.

PAC, Associates, and SUN Committee:
The chairman of this committee is responsible not only for reporting on the affiliate's
rank in these National fund-raising programs, but also for devising ways of encouraging
broader participation from all members of the affiliate.

(Note: Local chapters and divisions
will need to appoint representatives to work with the state committee chairmen for many of
the committees listed.)

Do we expect to staff all of these
committees immediately and have them functioning efficiently? No. We do not intend to run
faster than we are able or to take on so many things at once that we cannot do anything
well. We know implementing this plan will take time, but we have a vision of how the NFB
can and will operate in Arizona. "A vulture sits in the branches of a dead tree, and
we see the place where the wings join the body."